Sat Mar 01 19:30:00 UTC 2025: ## La Liga Accuses Manchester City of Enron-Style Financial Deception
**MADRID** – La Liga president Javier Tebas has leveled serious accusations against Manchester City, alleging an “Enron-style” financial deception involving the use of related companies to hide losses and inflate the club’s balance sheet. Tebas revealed that La Liga filed a complaint with the European Commission in summer 2023, alleging that City used a network of companies in the UAE to artificially improve its financial position, a practice he compared to the infamous Enron accounting scandal.
The complaint, details of which have been seen by PA, alleges that City’s financial mechanisms constitute a serious distortion of the EU’s internal market. Specifically, La Liga claims City received illicit foreign subsidies from the UAE, enabling them to sign players and secure sponsorships at levels far exceeding market value, thus gaining an unfair competitive advantage. This, La Liga argues, violates European regulations governing state subsidies.
Tebas, speaking at the Financial Times Business of Football Summit, stated that City channeled expenses through related companies outside the City Football Group structure, allowing those companies to absorb losses while presenting a healthier financial picture for the club itself. He highlighted City’s scouting and marketing companies as examples.
While Manchester City has not publicly commented on the allegations, sources close to the club have strongly refuted them, pointing to the club’s publicly available accounts as evidence of their compliance. These sources also highlighted Tebas’s history of criticizing City.
The European Commission is reportedly investigating La Liga’s complaint, which is currently in its investigation phase. This new accusation comes as City is already facing over 100 charges from the Premier League for alleged financial rule breaches, which the club also denies. The outcome of both investigations remains to be seen.
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